“Ireland Rocks”
Dr. Rox Remember When?
Article #169: March 2025
By: RLSchwinden aka MrZerr0
So just before my son Ashton (Oblieon) was born my friend Imogene got me a “DNA Test” a little to my surprise the results came back that I was about 35% Norwegian, 33% Irish and the rest Eastern European. It was no real surprise as my Grandma Margie was half Irish and half Norwegian, and Grandpa John was full Eastern European. The shocking thing came to be that my son’s mother is about the same percentage of Norwegian and Irish but then Italian and turns out my son is about the same Norwegian, but then Romanian and the Irish. Now growing up with and spending a whole lot of time with my Grandparents I was taught a whole lot about their background and cultures.
Growing up my family moved a lot, and I mean a lot about 19 times in 17 years, why in 1974 alone we moved to 3 different states in just that year alone, and so I attended 10 schools in 13 years, so I spent a whole lot of time alone we moved so much I was always the new kid and so not only was it hard to make new friends all the time, so I just got used to sitting in my room listening to music, reading about history and building model kits (planes, tanks, ships). Music was my escape from the torture of school.
As I got older reading more about history and being Irish, I began to relate very closely to the plight of the Irish people, oppressed by the English starting in 1690, including the “Potato Blight” of 1845 -49, where over 1 million Irish citizens died of starvation until the “Easter Rising of 1916”. Between 1845 and 1855 over 2 million Irish migrated to the US, Canada (including my Grandpa Charles) and Australia to escape the dismal living conditions in Ireland. By 1855 nearly 1/3 of Manhattan NYC, was Irish facing much discrimination such as to be called “The Famine Irish” and an undergoing Anti- Catholic sentiment as well as signs posted such as “No Irish Need Apply”. Now I really began to relate to this oppression, and I embraced it. I began to watch films on Ireland or based on Ireland, such as:
‘The Commitments’ 1991
‘Far And Away’ 1992
‘The Crying Game’ 1992
‘In The Name Of The Father’ 1993
‘The Matchmaker’ 1997
“The Devil’s Own’ 1997
‘Angela’s Ashes’ 1999
My old GF Grace (Napoli) used to quote Colm Meaney from the film “The Commitments” “Well then The bloody U2 had better watch out” and she would laugh hysterically. Now I had heard McCartney’s “Give Ireland Back to The Irish” from Feb 1972 and Lennon’s “Luck Of The Irish” from June 1972 in response to “Bloody Sunday the Bogside Massacre” in Jan 1972 in Derry Northern Ireland. Trivia Time: The Beatles; Lennon, McCartney and Harrison All had Irish Grandparents. As well as Bram Stoker who wrote “Dracula” in 1987 was from Dublin. After hearing these 2 songs I began to delve into Irish Rock music, as I was told there really wasn’t much to choose from as Ireland is traditionally a very conservative country and culture. So here’s a list of some of Ireland’s rock music.
Them: 1964 Belfast with Van Morrison 1945 Belfast.
Taste: 1966 Cork with Rory Gallagher: 1948 Donegal.
Skid Row: 1967 Dublin with Gary Moore: 1952 Belfast, N. Ireland.
Thin Lizzy: 1969 Dublin with Phil Lynott 1949 Staffordshire, England.
Clannad: 1970 Donegal.
Boomtown Rats: 1975 Dublin with Bob Geldolph: 1951 Dublin.
U2: 1976 Dublin.
Stiff Little Fingers: 1977 Belfast.
The Pogues: 1982 London with Shane MacGowan: 1957 Kent, England.
My Bloody Valentine: 1983 Dublin.
The Waterboys: 1983 London.
Vivian Campbell (Dio & Def Leppard): 1962 Lisburn, N. Ireland.
Sinead O’Connor: 1966 Dublin.
The Cranberries: 1989 Limerick with Dolores O’Riordan 1971 Limerick.
The Corrs: 1990 Dundalk.
Snow Patrol: 1994 Dundee, Scotland
Flogging Molly: 1997 Los Angeles, CA.
B*witched: 1997 Dublin
I did create a St. Patrick’s Day PsychoGello Show #185 March 2021. Which aired again this month on Radio WDGY. This is the PsychoGello Show’s 8th Season 8am Sundays on Radio WDGY. 740AM, Streaming, FM: 92.1, 103.7, 107.1. You can hear the last 90 Episodes at www.MrZeroS.Com -Podcast. Check out MrZerr0’s other Radi0 Shows at www.MixCloud.Com under MrZeros the “Evolation Show” for 32 Programs and Rick Burnett’s “Hits And History” for 17 instalments.
You can see 3 feature stories on Mr. Zer0’s that aired 25, 26 March 2025 on FOX 9 KMSP www.Fox9.Com.
https://www.fox9.com/video/161…
https://www.fox9.com/news/rose…
Until the next time …. hear MrZerr0 from the stars.
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